Olympic hopefuls will compete in jumping trials at Horse Park

Can't make it to London this summer for the Olympics? The Kentucky Horse Park will feature Olympic action this weekend with show jumping selection trials that are part of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows.

Top riders will include Olympic gold medalists Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut and internationally famous riders Margie Engle and Mario Deslauriers, who rode for the United States at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

On Friday, riders will compete in the $50,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. On Sunday, the prize money will be up to $75,000 for the Commonwealth Grand Prix. These two classes are official "observation events" for the U.S. Show Jumping Team.

Admission to both events is free.

"We just had WEG there two years ago, and it's a place that most riders like to show," Delauriers said in a statement about the Horse Park. "The facility is well-equipped, I am sure they are going to use some of the WEG jumps, so I think it will be a really high standard."

Another rider, Reed Kessler, 17, was the winner of the 2012 USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team and has been competing at the Kentucky horse shows for many years.

"I am really excited," she said in a press release. "I think it's a terrific venue. It's a perfect test and a great observation site to prepare for London because it's another big, impressive ring, so that's why we decided to show there."

The spring horse series will continue next week at the Kentucky Horse Park with the Kentucky Spring Classic CSI2--from Wednesday through May 20.